Booking It--Posterity

Do you think any current author is of the same caliber as Dickens, Austen, Bronte, or any of the classic authors? If so, who, and why do you think so? If not, why not? What books from this era might be read 100 years from now?

The first book that came to mind for me was Barbara Kingsolver's tour de force, The Poisonwood Bible. I definitely believe that book will go down as a classic, but I've sung her praises so much on the blog I'm beginning to sound like a broken record. To be honest though, I've been stuck in the 18th century for the last few years, at least in most of my reading life. I'm not as up on current authors as I'd like to be. However, I'm trying to remedy that now. So, as far as the best of current literature/authors goes, I'm certainly not the expert. Any ideas out there? Who or what should I be reading now that you believe will be read 100 years from now?

However, . . .

However, there is such a thing as too few bookshelves.

I'm Tired

This has been a great year. I finished the degree; I'm back at work. But, boy, am I tired. I thought I'd have some time off between defending and going back to work, but with two new classes to teach this semester, that just didn't happen. And of course the prep from those two new classes has kept me busy, along with all the grading. And NOW I've got two new classes to teach in the Spring semester, so in addition to prepping and grading, I've been trying to do some planning.

So, I'm really looking forward to having some time off next week. I want to get up without an alarm. I want to go through the day without watching the clock. I want to do some recreational reading. I want to watch a good movie or two (NOT New Moon).

Maybe after that I'll be ready for the sprint towards finals.

National Book Awards 2009

Wednesday night, the National Book Foundation announced this year's winners:

Fiction: Let the Great World Spin, Colum McCann

Nonfiction: The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt, TJ. Stiles

Poetry: Transcedental Studies: A Trilogy, Keith Waldrop

Young people's literature: Claudette Colvin, Phillip Hoose.

Additionally, Flannery O'Connor's The Complete Stories was named Best of the National Book Awards Fiction. I'm really glad because that's the book I voted for. (And, yes, I know that sentence ends in a preposition, but consider the alternative: " . . . because that's the book for which I voted." Hmmm. I don't think so. It's like the Winston Churchill quote: "That is something up with which I will not put.)

What Was She Thinking?

When I got my latest edition of Newsweek in the mail yesterday and saw the cover, I thought, "Surely, she didn't."

But, yes she did, just not for Newsweek. This picture originally appeared in Runner's World.

*Sigh*

What I'm Reading Now

From Library Journal:

In Christianity, the Eucharist emphasizes the relationship between Jesus' body and humanity, so it would seem logical that Christians would honor their own flesh and blood. Not so, says Paulsell, an ordained pastor currently serving as visiting lecturer on ministry at Harvard Divinity School. Her compelling book argues that while it is quite possible to regard highly the human physique, various societal and cultural conceptions go against the belief that human beings are "fearfully and wonderfully made" in the image of God. Paulsell writes about bathing and clothing the body, the necessity of exercise and rest, sexuality, and physical debilitations with their all-too-often negative connotations. The section on food is particularly fitting, since modern society places so much emphasis on physical perfection often with devastating consequences. Through this extremely well-written book, both lay readers and clergy will develop an appreciation of the body.

Another Must-See

If you care about the plight of women worldwide, you should see this film. It highlights the fear and despair experienced by Muslim women under Taliban rule. It is heartbreaking, yet beautifully filmed.

Osama (Persian: أسامة) is a 2003 film made in Afghanistan by Siddiq Barmak.It was the first film to be shot entirely in that country since 1996, when the Taliban régime banned the creation of all films.

The movie was filmed on location in Kabul, Afghanistan. Work began in June, 2002 and was completed in March 2003 with a budget of approximately $46,000 USD. All the actors in the film are amateurs found by the director on the streets of Kabul.

It is the story of a 12-year-old Afghan girl and her mother who lose their jobs when the Taliban closes the hospital where they work. The Taliban have also forbidden women to leave their houses without a male "legal companion." With her husband and brother dead, killed in battle, there is no one left to support the family—mother, daughter, and aging grandmother. Without being able to leave the house, the mother is left with nowhere to turn. Feeling that she has no other choice, she disguises her daughter as a boy. Now called “Osama,” the girl embarks on a terrifying and confusing journey as she tries to keep the Taliban from finding out her true identity--something she increasingly realizes is only a matter of time.

Booking It--Too Short

“Life is too short to read bad books.” I’d always heard that, but I still read books through until the end no matter how bad they were because I had this sense of obligation. That is, until this week when I tried (really tried) to read a book that is utterly boring and unrealistic. I had to stop reading.

Do you read everything all the way through or do you feel life really is too short to read bad books?

Yes, I do feel that way. Especially when my stack of "to-reads" is expanding exponentially and my list of "have-reads" seems to grow at a snail's pace. If a book is really slow but someone I trust has told me to stick with it, I will. And if I need to read the book for a class or some other important reason, I'll stick with it, but I'm very tempted to skim quickly to the end. If it's supposed to be a pleasure read and it's bad, then I don't waste my time with it. Too many other good books are waiting for me.

Should I Have To?

It Was Inevitable, Wasn't It?

I feel like somebody owes Shakespeare, Bronte, and Austen an apology. A big one.